Cassel released

[John from Riverside]

 

 

I saw all the games, even those not on NFL, so I know the play you are talking about. I thought the big clutch throws (and the drive at the end of the Brown's game) more that made up for 2-3 bad throws EJ made. I think the coaches did TT a disservice by not letting him take some shots into the end zone in that first game. In the end, though, it didn't hurt him.

 

And both TT and EJ look very calm and composed, IMO.

Once again....I really feel that bringing up EJ's bad throws in pre season is extreme nitpicking.....in any other year when deciding on a QB I would have totally dismissed them and defensed EJ because they are SO few.

 

To me its about who played better and who should start between two QBs that showed extremely well (I find the remarks from people who attempt to dismiss the QBs so funny....EVERY QB played better then anything we have had in the past)

 

What I also try to look at is what the coaches might want from their starter......I thought TT was more effecient. I did not see one uncatchable ball from him.....his 3rd down efficiency was off the charts.......I did not see one uncatchable ball......

 

Also.....less penalties with TT on the field

[Rico]

 

 

Both played quite well but the difference to me was that EJ got the yips and made "left handed" throws on several third downs.

 

One of those was in a series that was NOT shown on the NFL replay version of the first game so A LOT of people here did not see it.

 

Manuel rolled out of the pocket to his left and had an uncovered O'Leary right in front of him.....about 15 yards downfield......and he threw just about the worst pass I've ever seen and only got the ball half way there.

 

Drive killed.

 

Taylor didn't complete his few long passes but they were all catchable.

 

Love the improvements EJ made but to me TT was the clear winner.

That pass was brutal. I was not overly impressed with him at all after the Panthers game. EJ's rise into my good graces began with the Browns game.

[jester43]

It's called being so fully invested in your position to the point that you are too far gone to come back. This clown, among others here on this board, are so far down the "EJ will NEVER be a competent starting QB" road that they simply cannot return. Not enough fuel to get back. So on they plod. There are those in the media that are essentially in that very same same place.

 

Tyler Dunne from the News continues to bang the drum as well. Did you know EJ actually threw a pass that bounced into a hospitality tent and also hit a camera man on the sideline with another?????? Heavens to Betsy, it's a twister, it's a twister Auntie Em!! Oh, and Lordy Lordy, he fumbled some shotgun snaps in practice!! Oh the humanity. I SAW some of the snaps he was getting from second and third string centers early on and they weren't pretty, but why let a little fact like that get in the way of a narrative that you have invested yourself deeply within.

 

Matt Coller at GR is another one. The analytics boy wonder genius who believes numbers tell you everything you need to know about a guy, and they tell him that EJ cannot possibly improve enough to be good.

 

So of course, the ONLY reason why EJ is still on the team, or worse yet, that he was actually kept in lieu of Cassel at second string is because Whaley is committed to keeping HIS guy. No other explanation for it, boy howdy.

 

The only guy who was heavily invested in this narrative and yet had the huevos to give credit where credit was due was Joe B. And Sal C actually conceded that he was caught up in the group think that was going on out there at SJF as well, and was outright supportive of releasing Cassel. Human nature makes some people pathetically funny, because they just can't help themselves.

you might want to tone it down until he actually sees the field in a game and shows something. Good grief all of a sudden it's like Steve young backing up Montana all over again around here Edited September 8, 2015 by jester43

[Rico]

 

It's called being so fully invested in your position to the point that you are too far gone to come back. This clown, among others here on this board, are so far down the "EJ will NEVER be a competent starting QB" road that they simply cannot return. Not enough fuel to get back. So on they plod. There are those in the media that are essentially in that very same same place.

 

Tyler Dunne from the News continues to bang the drum as well. Did you know EJ actually threw a pass that bounced into a hospitality tent and also hit a camera man on the sideline with another?????? Heavens to Betsy, it's a twister, it's a twister Auntie Em!! Oh, and Lordy Lordy, he fumbled some shotgun snaps in practice!! Oh the humanity. I SAW some of the snaps he was getting from second and third string centers early on and they weren't pretty, but why let a little fact like that get in the way of a narrative that you have invested yourself deeply within.

 

Matt Coller at GR is another one. The analytics boy wonder genius who believes numbers tell you everything you need to know about a guy, and they tell him that EJ cannot possibly improve enough to be good.

 

So of course, the ONLY reason why EJ is still on the team, or worse yet, that he was actually kept in lieu of Cassel at second string is because Whaley is committed to keeping HIS guy. No other explanation for it, boy howdy.

 

The only guy who was heavily invested in this narrative and yet had the huevos to give credit where credit was due was Joe B. And Sal C actually conceded that he was caught up in the group think that was going on out there at SJF as well, and was outright supportive of releasing Cassel. Human nature makes some people pathetically funny, because they just can't help themselves.

I remember how you pimped long & loud for Mike Williams to be a future all-pro RT based on his level of play his 1st couple years... long and loud like above. Too bad all those posts got lost in a crash, cause they were pathetically funny.

[Rob's House]

I remember how you pimped long & loud for Mike Williams to be a future all-pro RT based on his level of play his 1st couple years... long and loud like above. Too bad all those posts got lost in a crash, cause they were pathetically funny.

I hope my TE & Fitz homer posts were lost in a similar crash.

[KingRex]

you might want to tone it down until he actually sees the field in a game and shows something. Good grief all of a sudden it's like Steve young backing up Montana all over again around here

I know of few on TSW or anywhere who are even arguing that EJ deserves the starting slot over TT and thus you are setting up a straw man in claiming there is some mistaken sense that EJ is Steve Young. I don't see anyone claiming TT Is Joe Montana and likewise it is simply foolish to argue that anyone mistakes EJ for Steve Young.

 

The simple truth is that EJ was drafted in the first as a project and remains so after an unfortunate injury ended his rookie year. Before he went down he did not set anyone's hair on fire as the next coming of John Elway, but the simple case is that he did show signs of being a .500 NFL QB.

 

No where near what we wanted, but actually well within the ballpark for an objective observer with even half a football mind.

 

So what explains the public indictment by some in the press and some loud voices on TSW that EJ quite obviously does not have what it takes to even be in the league?

 

It actually says a lot more about the lack of football knowledge and intellect of those offering up this view.

 

Some folks seem to want to hold EJ to a standard as being a franchise QB right out of the draft. He ain't. However, to claim he never will amount to anything because he is a ,500 QB right now is simply silly.

 

Cassel never showed the production to be a #1, and though EJ did throw the bad pass here and there he also through a great scoring bomb against the Panthers (probably the best pass by a QB fer or agin us this preserason) Had 2 scoring passes in crunch time to lead us to a W agin the Browns, and fully dererved his near perfect QB rating agin the Steelers and easily deserved the back-up role.

[John from Riverside]

I know of few on TSW or anywhere who are even arguing that EJ deserves the starting slot over TT and thus you are setting up a straw man in claiming there is some mistaken sense that EJ is Steve Young. I don't see anyone claiming TT Is Joe Montana and likewise it is simply foolish to argue that anyone mistakes EJ for Steve Young.

 

The simple truth is that EJ was drafted in the first as a project and remains so after an unfortunate injury ended his rookie year. Before he went down he did not set anyone's hair on fire as the next coming of John Elway, but the simple case is that he did show signs of being a .500 NFL QB.

 

No where near what we wanted, but actually well within the ballpark for an objective observer with even half a football mind.

 

So what explains the public indictment by some in the press and some loud voices on TSW that EJ quite obviously does not have what it takes to even be in the league?

 

It actually says a lot more about the lack of football knowledge and intellect of those offering up this view.

 

Some folks seem to want to hold EJ to a standard as being a franchise QB right out of the draft. He ain't. However, to claim he never will amount to anything because he is a ,500 QB right now is simply silly.

 

Cassel never showed the production to be a #1, and though EJ did throw the bad pass here and there he also through a great scoring bomb against the Panthers (probably the best pass by a QB fer or agin us this preserason) Had 2 scoring passes in crunch time to lead us to a W agin the Browns, and fully dererved his near perfect QB rating agin the Steelers and easily deserved the back-up role.

In short (sorry...past my bed time)

 

Tyrod Taylor is your starter......get behind him folks.

 

EJ Manuel has shown enough to hold the clipboard and continue to develop with a good feeling that if his name is called this year the team wont fall part.

 

I will say this.....some people here just seem to love a good qb contiversy.....what I would really hate to see is the "bench him he sucks" the first mistake TT makes. Bad plays are gonna happen.....get behind him and cheer for him.

[GunnerBill]

All this "who played better?" is really pointless. They both played extremely well, well enough for the Bills for once to release their default, safe, middle of the road option and roll with the young guys. Tyrod was brought in by this staff and as a result I think was probably always going to have the benefit of the doubt in ties but he was also more consistent on the practice field than EJ who took really the last week and a half of camp before he started to put it all together (almost as though his confidence really grew from those pre-season games and carried through).

 

Tyrod earned the starting job I am 100% behind him and I believe he is going to shock the world. Let's go Buffalo.

[jester43]

So what explains the public indictment by some in the press and some loud voices on TSW that EJ quite obviously does not have what it takes to even be in the league?

 

It actually says a lot more about the lack of football knowledge and intellect of those offering up this view.

I HAVE NEVER SAID THAT... EVER. :wallbash: :wallbash:

 

My point is that it is way over the top and way premature to assume that we have anything at all at QB. Is that clear enough for you?

 

If these two guys were #1 and #2 for any team that we considered a rival we'd be licking our chops, and that is that.

 

i want them both to be hall-of-famers in scarlet and royal, but SHEESH.... :doh:

[eball]

Why is what happened at QB so hard for people to understand? Rex/Roman came to Buffalo and all they saw was a broken EJ Manuel who still had support from Whaley, and nothing else at the position. It was crisis mode. So they immediately looked for the "best" veteran game-manager they could find and acquired Cassel, who became the de facto starting option and was immediately penciled in by everyone in the media.

 

At the same time, they knew Taylor had sat for four years behind Flacco and wanted an opportunity to start. Rex, in particular, knows how difficult it is to prepare for a mobile QB and convinced Whaley they should bring him in. A lot of folks presumed at that point Taylor was "Rex's guy" and would get the benefit of the doubt in any competition. Whether this is true or not only Rex knows, but what really happened was a legitimate 3-man competition and here's what each man did:

 

Cassel -- Steady. Learned the playbook the quickest. Most consistent in practice but nothing flashy. In limited preseason action dinked and dunked the ball around -- led no scoring drives despite only playing with the ones (was hurt by a big penalty but it is what it is). Also should have thrown a pick-6 when he telegraphed a pass that was tipped at the line. To borrow from Denny Green, "he is what we thought he is."

 

Taylor -- Flashy. Had great days of practice and mediocre days. In the preseason showed complete grasp of offense; made plays with legs and more importantly, showed he could stand in the pocket and deliver the ball accurately. No TD throws but led multiple TD drives. Really had just one "bad" series (2:00 drill vs. Carolina).

 

Manuel -- Surprising. Consistently ranked third at practice but showed flashes and most importantly, improved as camp progressed. Once he got in the games, EJ became a monster. Threw decisively and accurately while playing behind a putrid 3rd string line. Four TD throws in the PS and a nearly perfect outing against Pittsburgh showed everyone why he was a 1st round pick and deserves a roster spot.

 

Unless there was an absolute need to keep three QBs on the 53-man roster, it is not surprising at all that Cassel is the odd man out. Yes, I'm sure money was a factor, and if Cassel was making half as much then they may have kept him to be that steadying influence on the sideline.

 

The media has not been able to grasp the decision to roll with TT and EJ because they are clinging to the notion that the Bills can only win by relying upon their defense and a safe, running-based attack.

 

The truth, however, is that Buffalo has a boatload of shiny toys on offense and the acquisition of Richie and Miller has made what was a huge weakness (interior OL) suddenly look like a potential strength. The Bills will be able to create some huge mismatches on offense and a "game manager" is no longer what the doctor ordered -- particularly after Rex and Roman saw the way Taylor and EJ performed in live action.

 

Cutting Cassel was about as easy a decision as they've had to make.

 

All of this said -- this is a "show me" league and the Bills have yet to prove anything. The converse of this analysis is that the big stage is too big for Taylor and/or defenses successfully take away his best asset and he can't consistently deliver the ball. If that happens the Bills will need to hope EJ's progression this summer was not a mirage. Those are significant risks. Keeping Cassel would have meant having a veteran QB who would hopefully not make any big mistakes -- but even that was not a given when you look at Cassel's recent history.

 

I'm glad the Bills chose to go the route with the much bigger upside. It's time to go big or go home.

[1billsfan]

you might want to tone it down until he actually sees the field in a game and shows something. Good grief all of a sudden it's like Steve young backing up Montana all over again around here

 

Telling someone to “tone it down” who was being 100% completely fair and rational in their explanations of the massive groupthink fail in Buffalo regarding EJ is ridiculous. Thankfully the season’s here because I’ve had enough of the cluelessness of the EJ haters.

[FireChan]

 

 

Telling someone to “tone it down” who was being 100% completely fair and rational in their explanations of the massive groupthink fail in Buffalo regarding EJ is ridiculous. Thankfully the season’s here because I’ve had enough of the cluelessness of the EJ haters.

 

Except he was completely wrong. Pretty funny.

[1billsfan]

Except he was completely wrong. Pretty funny.

 

You're delusional.

[FireChan]

 

You're delusional.

Nah just bored of debating the illiterate. It seems to be a common theme.

[Fixxxer]

Nah just bored of debating the illiterate. It seems to be a common theme.

 

Like you posting EeeeeeeJJJJJJJ in the shoutbox during the Browns game when Manuel struggled a bit, you were gloating after the fumble, problem is the TD came next and you disappeared from the shoutbox that day and from the board a couple of days. It must have been a tough pill to swallow for the non-believers that day.

 

You're too transparent FireChan, you think you're so clever but you're just another troll.

[1billsfan]

Nah just bored of debating the illiterate. It seems to be a common theme.

 

Says the guy who spent the better part of the last year trashing EJ. A guy whose play on the field was awesome this preseason.

[FireChan]

 

Says the guy who spent the better part of the last year trashing EJ. A guy whose play on the field was awesome this preseason.

And yet neither of those things make me illiterate. Funny how words mean specific things and all that.

[Coach Tuesday]

I don't think Cassel's foot ever fully healed.

 

I'm guessing someone may have said that somewhere in this thread but I'm not going to wade through the cesspool of FireChan posts to find it. So I'll just make the point again.

[BillsFan-4-Ever]

Nah just bored of debating the illiterate. It seems to be a common theme.

nothing better to do but throw out insults. Bravo Chan.

I don't think Cassel's foot ever fully healed.

 

I'm guessing someone may have said that somewhere in this thread but I'm not going to wade through the cesspool of FireChan posts to find it. So I'll just make the point again.

[PromoTheRobot]

Releasing Matty Lice broke the Holcombian lineage of Fitz, Orton etc

+1.

 

Says the guy who spent the better part of the last year trashing EJ. A guy whose play on the field was awesome this preseason.

And fluffing Johnny Football.